Monday, April 27, 2009

GRE Practice Test

Well, on Saturday, I took a diagnostic test for the GRE. This gives you an idea of your score, where you stand, etc.

Well friends, it's official. I need to study!

I scored in the 50% for verbal and the 30% for math (yikes).

The good news is I can study the math and add vocabulary words to my vernacular each and every day.

For example: Studying for the GRE is arduous, no truly, it is. :)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Thoughts on Community & the Ecklunds

I spent the evening with the lovely Ecklund women! Gianna is 2, Selah a few months, and Em...well, older than me (but not by much). Emily, Adam (her husband), and I met at Azusa Pacific, during undergrad. I also had the privilege of going through graduation school with them! One of our professors, John Hoffman, on the first day of class said, 'you won't be able to do this program alone.' How true I found that statement to be. The three of us (and a few others) quickly became good friends.

So when I came out to Baylor in 2005, they soon followed, but not for me of course. :) Anyway, it has been a pleasure having them here. I've been blessed by their friendship through the years and it's a joy to walk life with them! For me, it's nice to have people who know me, who I don't have to 'get to know', and who have seen me in different stages/phases of life. Additionally, I get to walk life with them. They now have two beautiful daughters and I find such delight in both of them!

Tonight it was just Em, the girls (Adam joined later), and myself. What fun (and trying at times). I get the pleasure of watching, helping, and being able to leave discipline to the 'parent'. At one point, after G was ready for bed, I had Selah in one arm and G next to me on the couch reading her a book about dinosaurs. They are great girls, and I love spending time with them.

After they went to bed and Adam came home, the three of us caught up on life, talked about PhDs, and other oddities.

Now stay with me for a bit. Last Sunday, my pastor was talking about Psalm 133. This is 14 of 15 Psalms about the ascension of Israel. These 15 Psalms represent the 15 steps that lead to the top of the mountain where the Holy of Holies was kept. As the Israelites (in community) would travel the journey to and up the mountain, they would recite these 15 Psalms on the last 15 step leading directly to the Holy of Holies. So Psalm 133 is the last step before the Holy of Holies and it says in short, how good and pleasant it is when brother & sisters live together in unity. Symbolically, the last step before they reached the Holy of Holies, God's dwelling place, is about community. Maybe it's suppose to represent the idea the one cannot make it to God alone. Maybe it's suppose to represent the journey is meant to be lived in community. Or maybe it's that the closest thing to Gods dwelling place, his heart, and essentially himself is community. And not just surface level community but community in which one lives, suffers, shares joys, and caries one another's burdens...true kiononia (Christian community).

I've been thinking this week about community and what it means for me. Tonight was a great opportunity to bless Emily. And yet, I received more than I probably gave. I am so grateful for Adam & Em's friendship and the joy they and their children bring to my life.


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Doctors!

I don't like doctors. I never have. Not many people do. However, in the last year and half, things have changed. I have come to appreciate my doctors tremendously! I have a fabulous endocrinologist (thyroid), a wonderful eye doctor (who uses glasses with flip lenses to assess your eyes instead of new machines), and a great family practitioner (I could sing his praises).

Why this random information?

Well, I went to my family doctor today (Dr. Scott Blattman) and I was once again impressed by his knowledge. Without going into too much detail, he finds ways to communicate what's going on in ones body, possible treatment options, and the pros and cons of each. I love it. For someone who loves to collect all sorts of information (useless or otherwise), he's great!

So if you ever find yourself in Waco, Texas and in need of a general practitioner, I highly recommend him!

Diadeloso 2009

Tomorrow is Diadeloso (day of the bear). Yep, at Baylor, we take a random Thursday off school (and a half day off work) to celebrate our mascot! :) It's a beautiful day out. It's one of those California beach sorts of days. Only, I'm not in California and there is no worthy beach within driving distance. So instead, maybe I'll spend some time in Cameron Park (2nd largest in city park) and maybe head down to Lake Waco for sunset. It's nice, and I'll enjoy the time, however, it's no substitute for a California beach or a real mountain. :)

Missing home a bit today.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

way overdue!

I have a problem. My dilemma is this, this blog. I realize this is a great way to keep people up to speed with the happenings of my life, and yet, I can't seem to do it. Maybe it's because I feel I need to have witty, or cleaver things to post. Maybe it's because it's time consuming. Maybe it's because I am a communicator and feel everything I write needs to truly reflect me. Maybe it's because I'm a perfectionist and can't let something just be (especially when writing/designing/etc). Maybe it's all of the above.

Needless to say, I realize it's a good idea, and I'm going to attempt it...again.

:)